Mammal watching in the Cantabrian Mountains

Dates: September 28th-October 4th

The Cantabrian Mountains are one of the last wild places in Europe. They are home of magnificent mammals like European Wildcat, Cantabrian Brown Bear, Iberian Wolf, Southern Chamois and Spanish Ibex to name few. In addition there are many sought-after birds including the stunning Wallcreeper, Lammergeier, Alpine accentor and Alpine Chough among others.

Day 1. Monday 28th September. Santander-Picos de Europa

Wildcat-mammals Cantabrian mountains

After having breakfast, we decide to visit a couple of local marshes in Santander while we wait the arrival of Jo and Tim from Majorca. In our first stop we see some waders, mainly Dunlins and Black-tailed Godwits. A solitary Spoonbill stands out in the middle of the mudflats along with Little Egrets. Then, we move to our second locations near the bay of Santander where we find an Osprey and more waders: Bar-tailed Godwits, Whimbrels and Oystercatchers among others. On the walk back to the van, our guide spots some small birds perched on a bush which turn out to be a mix of Whinchats, a Whitethroat and Stonechats.

After picking up the two guests from the airport, we set off towards our hotel in Boca de Húergano. One hour later, we stop to have lunch in Alguilar del Campoo. Later, we continue the journey following different roads and finding a gorgeous Wildcat! That is a good start!

After checking-in the hotel and rest for one hour, we all get into the van and drive around different track to look for Wildcat. Soon, we find one which as we approach, decides to head to the forest . Then, we see a second one, and this one allows us fantastic views. We are doing very well! Our guide Pau says that is quite unusual to have three good wildcat sightings the same afternoon!

Day 2: Tuesday 29th September. Wolf watching in the Cantabrian Mountains

Alpine accentor in Spain

We start the morning early, before the sun rise and are driven in two 4 x 4 vehicles. After parking, we walk the last 350 meters to reach the top of a steep hill. Slowly we made our way and enjoy stunning views of the valleys and mountains. A couple of days before a pack of Iberian wolves was in the area so we set up the scopes and start searching for them. Skylarks and Water pipits are seen. Later, we see our first Reed deer which suddenly runs away, might it have been a wolf? Probably the deer smell the scent of a wolf which was previously in the area as we cannot see any wolves. Around 11:00 we decide to call it a day and get back to the hotel.

Before lunch, we take a stroll and spot some birds including Dipper, Crag martin and Griffon’s vultures. Besides, there are still some butterflies: Yellow clouded, Wall Brown, Long-tailed and Lang’s short-tailed Blues.

At 4:30 we meet again to try to see the Iberian wolves but in a different location which is more accessible. After patiently waiting, we find an adult and 2 young wolves which stay briefly on view. Superb! We have seen the elusive Iberian Wolf!

Day 3: Wednesday 30th September. Alpine birds: Wallcreeper and Lammergeier

Wallcreeper in the Cantabrian Mountains

The large tropical storm “Alex” is approaching so we change plans and decide to visit today the highest part of the park to search for alpine birds. After driving 1:40 minutes we get to the cable car and soon are on the way. During our first hour the birding is quiet, only spotting Red and Yellow-billed Choughs. We walk towards Pau’s spot where we have lunch while we keep searching the walls and rocks for Wallcreepers. Pau calls out “Wallcreeper” but unfortunately the bird flies off and not everyone sees it. Jo walks around and find another Wallcreeper but when we get there is gone. However, from the same place we get nice views of three Southern Chamois.

On the way back, Linda, Ewan and Pau stay behind. First, they see a juvenile Golden Eagle and a Lammergeier flying around the peaks. Then, half-way to the cable car Pau finds three approachable Alpine accentors followed by a close Wallcreeper spotted by Ewan. Lovely! After having some drinks to celebrate such a wonderful day, we set off to the hotel.

Before dinner, we decide to try again for Wildcats, hoping to get again good views and some photos, and so we did. We spend half an hour watching a beautiful male wildcat hunting voles in the meadows.

Day 4: Thursday 1st October. Iberian Wolves in the Cantabrian Mountains

Today we visit the same spot for Iberian Wolves. The morning is quiet with only a quick sighting so around 11:00 we decide to move to other area where we might see Spanish ibex. Once we arrive, we get a nice view of an adult Golden Eagle and soon we find a female Spanish ibex followed by another.

After lunch and a quick “power nap” we get back to the wolf spot and get this time great views. First Pau spots a Wild boar and then Bernardo sees 2 young Iberian wolves. We have seen before this behaviour. It seems that large male Wild boars follow small wolf packs to make the most of the leftovers. The adult wolves bring food every day and what is not eaten by the youngest is done by the Wild boar. After that, we watch 4 youngsters Iberian wolves chasing one another and playing peacefully. Fantastic!

Day 5: Friday 2nd October. Mammal watching in the Cantabrian Mountains. Somiedo

Wolfwatchin in Catabrian Mountains

The storm has arrived in full power. It has been raining all night and still does during the morning, so we decide to change plans and to go to a photography hide where we might get close views of Griffon vultures, and be sheltered from the rain and wind. At the beginning it looks promising with the arrival of corvids and Common buzzard. Unfortunately the weather seems to put off the vultures and they wait patiently in the rocky slopes to dry out the wings. So, after two hours, we move to a rural hotel to have some hot drinks and then drive towards Somiedo. We encounter sleet and snow all the way, are we really in early October?

After having a warm lunch in the hotel, we drive to a local viewpoint to search for Cantabrian brown bear in the mountain slopes. This time of the year they are seen in the open areas feeding on berries and nuts. However, this bad weather will push them to the forest where they are more sheltered. We spend the afternoon watching Southern chamois, Red deer and passerines such as Rock Bunting and Serin.

Day 6: Saturday 3rd October Somiedo – Looking for Cantabrian Brown bears

We try different locations, but the weather seems to be worst that yesterday. On the way to the village of Gua we find a Red squirrel. Around 10:30, we split in two groups: Tim, Ewan and Jesús stay in the viewpoint and the rest of the group go for a walk in Valle del Lago. We take a stroll between the foggy and snowed-capped mountains. We keep busy identifying the numerous passerines that feed in the farmyards: Linnets, Black redstarts, Water pipits and a Marsh tit among others.

After a delicious lunch (fabada asturiana and potes de berzas), we visit a couple more locations where a Bear was spotted by a farmer a couple of days ago. The weather is not helpful, so we only add a Short-toed Eagle to our list.

Day 7: Sunday 4th. October Somiedo-Santander

After breakfast we set off towards Santander which takes us a bit more of 3 hours. We encounter rain and strong winds on the way. Jo, Tim, Linda and Ewan will stay one night in Santander before going home. Malcom, Barbara and Pau will continue their journey south.

Acknowledgements. Birdwatching Spain would like to thank all their guests on this trip for their convivial company throughout the week. The tour was undertaken during very uncertain times, with many Covid 19 restrictions in place, and the fact that it DID run is thanks to the determination of those who participated. Although we fail to find the Cantabrian Brown Bear, partially because of a very bad weather, we did very well in the first part of the trip. The sightings of Wild cat were some of my best; close and long. The Iberian wolf also performed very well with sightings of youngest playing. In addition, we saw some extra mammals such as Spanish Ibex and sought-after bird: Wallcreeper, Lammergeier and Alpine accentor.

The stunning landscape was once again a delight, and was practically bereft of tourists, allowing the group to enjoy a particularly peaceful stay. No doubt we will be back next September! More info in our tour calendar. Check-list available here.

Dragonflies and butterflies in Montes Universales

During this 6-day holiday we explored Valencia Region and Montes Universales in search of butterflies, dragonflies and birds. The first two days were spent in Valencia looking for the new discovered Cazuma Clubtail (Onychogomphus cazuma) and other interesting dragonflies species found in rivers. In addition, we visited the Albufera de Valencia looking for birds, and some coastal butterfly species such as African Grass Blue, Mediterranean Skipper and dragonflies such as Black Percher or Long Skimmer. The second part of the trip was in Montes Universales, a lovely mountain range with a remarkable diversity of butterflies, including endemic and some specialities such as Oberthur’s Anomalous Blue, Mother of Pearl Blue, Damon Blue, Zapater’s Ringlet, Iberian Sooty Copper, Spanish Argus and Southern Hermit to name few.

Day 1.  Valencia airport-Cazuma Clubtail spot

Cazuma clubtail in Valencia

After greetings and loading the minibus, we set off to the municipality of “Canal de Navarrés”. On the way, we stopped in a bar to get some sandwiches and coffee, and shortly we were in the river looking for dragonflies while we have our lunch. Soon, we found Southern and Keleed Skimmer and White Featherlegs. Among the grasses, there were Blue-eyed Damselfly and Common Bluet. Besides, Dusky Heath, Striped Grayling and Spanish Gatekeeper were the more common butterflies of the day. On the ground, a gorgeous Orange-winged Dropwing was resting and close by there was a Large Pincertail. We kept looking for Cazuma Clubtail but no luck. However, we added some new dragonfly species before going to the hotel. These were Orange Featherleg, Pronged Clubtail and a glimpse of Western Spectre. Regarding birds, flocks of Bee-eaters flew South in their migration to Africa.

Day 2. Dragonflies in Valencia-Albufera de Valencia-Albarracín

Dragonflies in Valencia

After breakfast, we tried another location for the Cazuma Clubtail. The first dragonfly was a Goldenring followed by a Small Pincertail which got us very excited as we thought it was a Cazuma Pincertail. Walking to an open area, Sam found a Pincertail sunbathing in a branch which after a close inspection turned to be a Cazuma Clubtail. Fantastic! While the group gathered everyone to enjoy this beauty, a Violet Dropwing flew in front of us.

We got back to our vehicles and started driving north towards the Albufera de Valencia. As soon as we arrived, we were surrounded by Red-veined darters which is by far the most common species in wetlands. In addition, we found a female Black-tailed Skimmer and a couple of Black Perchers. On the paddy fields, there were Squacco and Purple Herons, Gull-billed Terns and Whiskered Terns.

After having lunch in a picnic area, we visited the outskirts of a green filter where we saw the only African grass blue butterfly. There were also two nice dragonflies: Long Skimmer and Banded Groundling, and birds. On the track, we spotted a Turtle Dove picking grain. Then, Pau found among the reeds a beautiful Purple-swamp-hen and Little Bittern.

After a coffee in el Palmar, we departured to the delightful town of Albarracín, which was our location during our stay in Montes Universales.

Day 3. Butterflies in Montes Universales-Vallecillo-Ojos del Cabriel

Butterflies in Montes Universales-Esper's Marbled White

After a relaxed breakfast, we set off to the tiny village of el Vallecillo. The sky was cloudy and our first butterflies were still asleep hanging in the grass. They were the beautiful Twin-spotted Fritillary, Turquoise Blue and Spanish Chestnut Heat. As the temperature rose and the sun shone, two species of Marbled Whites started to fly, the abundant Iberian Marbled White and Esper’s Marbled White.

In the damp meadows there were Purple Shot Coppers and Lesser Marbled Fritillary. In a muddy terrain our guide found a nice variety of blues, which include Escher’s Blue, Silver Studded Blue and Damon Blue. Along the track side we found two more species, Safflower Skipper and Mother of Pearl Blue. Other remarkable species included Zapater’s Ringlet and False Ilex Hairstreak.

The evening spot produce Spanish Purple Hairstreak which was difficult to spot due to the overgrown vegetation which covered the path.

Day 4. Butterflies in Serrania de Cuenca

Butterflies in Montes Universales-Oberthur’s Anomalous Blue

Today the group had the longest drive of the day visiting different spots in the Serrania de Cuenca. In our way to Tragacete, we stopped in the top of a mountain pass looking for Spanish Argus. We managed to see around 20 butterflies. In the same spot we saw Blue-spot Hairstreak and two Apollo butterfly.

The following area was in the surroundings of Tragacete. This area is heaven for butterflies! There were Knapweed Fritillary, Southern White Admiral, Large Skipper and Silver-washed Fritillaries nectaring on thistles. The damp track hosted cloudes of blues, mainly Azure Chalk-hill, Mother of Pearl Blue, Oberthur’s Anomalous Blue and Ripart’s Anomalous Blue. In addition, there were two odonata species Beautiful Damselfly and Ruddy Darter.

The evening’s count showed a partial count of an impressive 60 species of butterflies. Regarding birds, sightings included, Bonelli’s Warbler, Egyptian and Griffon vulture.

Day 5. Bronchales and Sierra Alta

The first stop of the day was in a beautiful meadow halfway to Bronchales. Soon, we find Iberian Scarce Swallowtails, Chestnut Heath and Oriental Meadow brown. We continued towards Sierra Alta watching some forest birds: Crested Tit, Short-toed Treecreeper, Crossbills and Booted Eagle.

We had lunch in beautiful meadow watered by a spring. There was a wide array of butterflies: Queen of Spain Fritillary, Dark Green Fitillary, Wall Brown and False Grayling. Before leaving we found a new specie for the trip, the Iberian Sooty Copper.

Day 6. Albarracín-Valencia airport

Damon Blue and Azure Chalk-hill Blue in Montes Universales

Having booked all the guests an afternoon flight, there was time for a morning visit to a close location. In this dry and arid place, we added Adoni’s blue, Southern Marbled Skipper and Sage Skipper among others. A bit further down on the same dry river bed, we found Berger’s Clouded Yellow, Chapman’s blue, Spanish and Azure Chalk hill Blue and Cinquefoil Skipper. But, among all, the most wanted was Southern Hermit!

After lunch, we left these gorgeous mountains and dry for two hours until we got to Valencia airport. The final count make 93 species of butterflies and over 20 dragonflies.

Please, do not hesitate to contact us for more information about dragonflies in Valencia and a butterfly trip to Montes Universales. For a scheduled trip, please visit the tour calendar.

Bird watching trip Morocco

Welcome to our bird watching trip to Morocco. On this occasion, we have repeated our favourite itinerary in this wonderful and welcoming country, the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert. In total we have seen 116 species of birds (many of them with a restricted distribution) and several subspecies which will probably be split in the following years.

Day 1. Madrid-Marrakech

Five of us meet in Valencia airport and fly together to Madrid airport (Terminal 4) on time to join with Keith and Deidre, both travelling from the United States. Once we get at Marrakesh airport, we meet our driver Hamid. While we get into the van, we see the first bird of the trip, a flock of Little Swifts.

Day 2. Marrakech-Atlas. Bird watching trip Morocco

Crimson-winged Finch-bird watching trip Morocco
Crimson-winged Finch

After having breakfast at 8 o’clock, we set off towards the Atlas Mountains. The first stop in route is in an open scrubland area where we see a beautiful male of Moussier’s Redstart, as well as a group of Spanish Sparrow. In addition, in some nearby fields, the scope two Barbary partridges, a pair of Little owls, a Southern Grey Shrike (subsp. algeriensis) and a beautiful Barbary Falcon. What a great start to this bird watching trip to Morocco!

Later, we continue our journey to the Atlas Mountains. Our next stop is at the hotel to leave our luggage and get some new birds. Soon we locate the Atlas Crossbill, a subspecies of the Common Crossbill which is a clear candidate to be a new specie. You might find interesting this article about the differences between the Atlas Crossbill and Common Crossbill. In the same trees we also see a African Blue Tit.

Around the garden, we see the endemic Levaillant’s Green Woodpecker feeding on ants. In addition, in a large walnut tree we get two Great Spotted Woodpecker which are breaking the walnut galls to feed on the insects.

We continue our journey towards the ski slopes of Oukaimeden where we stop to have lunch. After having our first Tajin, we start looking for some local bird specialities. A few meters from the restaurant, we see a large group of Red-billed Chough and Alpine Chough having a feast on a rubbish pile.

After searching for one hour, we finally find a good number of Atlas Horned Larks and a newly arrived Northern Wheatear. This winter the weather has been warmer than average, and therefore the snow has retreated to a higher level. This makes it even more difficult to locate the beautiful Crimson-winged Finch.

Finally, around 5:30 we watch three Crimson-winged Finches flying which we locate later in the market. Next to them, we find an African Chaffinch. These approachable birds allow us fantastic close views.

Day 3. High Atlas Mountains – Ouarzazate – Boumalne du Dades. Bird watching trip Morocco

White-crowned Wheatear-bird watching trip Morocco
White-crowned wheatear

Today we have a long drive ahead. Around 11:30, we make a stop for coffee in a bar and from the terrace we get four Lesser Kestrel migrating.

After lunch, we continue the itinerary making short stops to watch some birds such as Black Wheatear and White-crowned Wheatear. The latter one gives a lot of discussion as immature birds do not have the characteristic white crown but do have a different pattern on the tail. In the same stop we also find a couple Desert Larks and Thekla Larks.

Finally, our last birding stop is to look for one of the Magreb “jewels”, the spectacular Magreb Wheatear. After searching for 15 minutes, we find a beautiful male, followed by a female and our first Trumpeter Finch of the trip.

A couple of hours later, we arrive at our cosy accommodation, a traditional Riat in Boumalne du Dades where we have a delicious couscous for dinner.

Day 4. Boumalne du Dades – Tagdilt Track. Bird watching trip Morocco

Temminck's lark-birds of Morocco
Temmick’s Lark

No doubt today will be a fantastic birding day. After breakfast, we visit the famous landfill which attracts numerous species of birds. On the way we pull over to observe an “infiltrated” Atlas Horned Lark among a group of Temminck’s Larks. We also find a flock of Lesser-short toed Larks.

As soon as we arrive at the landfill, we find a beautiful male of Red-rumped Wheatear and three Thick-billed Lark which are on pursued. At some distance we scope pair of Long-legged Buzzards.

In the surroundings we find a beautiful male of Desert Wheatear in full song. Among the piles of debris, a group of 50 Trumpeter finches flies off.

We continue our bird watching tour finding the spectacular Hoopoe Lark and a group of four Cream-coloured Coursers. How beautiful they are! One of the most stunning waders! Later, we stop in the surroundings to have our picnic lunch, a Moroccan omelette. While we tuck in our sandwiches, we scope a flock of Pin-tailed Sandgrouses.  

In search of the impressive Pharaoh Eagle Owl

Finally, our last stop of the day is in a gorge to look for the impressive Pharaoh Eagle Owl. Soon, we find the female perched at the entrance of the nest and the male just few meters away. What a stunning bird! On the way back to the hotel we see a pair of Laughing Dove resting in a tamarisk.

Yesterday was a long day on the road, so we call it a day. Everyone has time to rest and enjoy the patio of the Riat. We make the checklist having some cold beers.

Day 5. Boumalne du Dades – Todra Gorges – Goulmima – Merzouga. Bird watching trip Morocco

Birds of the desert-Hoopoe lark
Hoopoe lark

Today we set off towards the Sahara Desert. Our first stop is to stretch our legs is the Todra Gorge, and we are lucky enough to see a beautiful pair of Bonelli’s Eagles. Superb!

After lunch, we make a stop in a wadi close to Merzouga to look for one of the most difficult species, the Scrub Warbler. Once we start looking around, we see a flock of Great short-toed Larks as well as a Great Grey Shrike of the subspecies elegans, which is much paler than the subspecies algeriensis.

There is also two approachable Bar-tailed Larks. Nevertheless, the sighting of the Scrub Warbler is poor and some people miss it. We will try again tomorrow.

Juan and Mateo photograph a weird-looking Wheatear which turns to be a Seebohm Wheatear. A beautiful and unexpected sighting of a short-distance migrant bird that breeds in the Atlas Mountains. In a nearby bush, we find a beautiful male Tristram’s Warbler.

Finally, we arrive at our accommodation in the sand dunes of the Sahara Desert.

Day 6. Merzouga – Erg Chebbi Dunes – Rissani. Bird watching in the Sahara Desert

Crowned Sandgrouses-Bird watching trip Morocco
Crowned Sandgrouses

Today we have an interesting bird watching day ahead. We leave the hotel in two 4×4 vehicles and head to a watering hole for dromedaries which is sometimes used by Sandgrouses. Once we arrive, we get a pair of Spotted Sandgrouses. A little later, we see a flock of 12 birds landing by the watering hole. Shortly afterwards, a group of 5 Crowned Sandgrouses land not far from us allowing good pictures. What a start!

Our next stop is at a tent where the nomads live. They very kindly offer us tea with mint. While we have the drink seated in the ground, a Hoopoe Lark and a beautiful Desert Sparrow get closer and closer to us. Fantastic!

After that, we go straight to a scrubby area where we find different territories of Spectacled Warbler and Desert Warbler. In the transect to our next stop, we find a good bunch of Brown-necked Ravens.

The Egyptian Nightjar

Egyptian nightjar-birding in Morocco
Egyptian Nighjar

Later, we meet a Berber shepherd who has been searching at dusk for us a spectacular bird. This bird has just arrived to breed in the desert, the Egyptian Nightjar. Once we get to the area, we locate the bird under a bush, dozing. We enjoy watching it just few meters away. What a wonderful bird!

It’s time to have lunch and our Moroccan friends invite us to have a Berber pizza at their place. During the afternoon, we continue looking for the birds we have miss so far. The weather is not very hot (28 ºC) but the sun is strong.

We set off to some cliffs where a pair of Lanner Falcons nest. The male brings a catch and offer it to the female, great! In the near bushes, we find a female of Tristan’s Warbler.

After that, we visit a wadi where we manage to see two Scrub Warblers after an intense search. Finally, we have a stop in a palm tree grove to see a small group of Fulvous Babbler.

We have seen all the desert bird species, so it is time to celebrate it with a cold beer!

Day 7. Merzouga-Mountains of the Anti-Atlas-Ouarzazate. Bird watching trip Morocco

Kasbah-Ait-Benhaddou
Kasbah Ait Benhaddou

Today we start the trip back to Marrakech. During the journey we cross fertile valleys where palm trees and alfalfa are grown. On a pylon, we see a Short-toed Eagle.

After lunch, we make a stop on the Draa River. Here we see the Moroccan subspecies of White wagtail (subsp. supersonata), as well as Common, Green and Wood sandpipers.

The last stop is made near Ouarzazate, in the Mansour Eddahbi. In this reservoir we find a good number of new species for the trip: Marbled Teal, Ruddy Shelduck, Magreb Lark, Black-winged kite, Greenshank and Kentish plover among many others.

Day 8. Ouarzazate-Kasbah Ait Benhaddou-Marrakesh. Bird watching trip Morocco

We leave Ouarzazate behind and head North towards Marrakesh. On the way, we visit the impressive Kasbah Ait Benhaddou. This World Heritage city (17th century) has been the set of many popular films such as Game of Thrones, Prince of Persia and Gladiator among many others. We walk along the alleys passing through numerous craftsmen shops and watching birds such as Blue-rock thrush, Red-rumped Swallow and Crag Marin.

After having lunch, we make the last stretch of road to our accommodation in Marrakech.

Day 9. Marrakech-Valencia

Today is our last day in Morocco so we will spend the morning visiting the Medina of Marrakech and buying some souvenirs. In the sky we watch migrating, two Booted eagles and a kettle of few tens of Black Kites.

After visiting the Palais Bahia in Marrakesh, we are driven to the airport to end this wonderful bird watching trip to Morocco. We have seen all the target birds and enjoyed the Moroccan hospitality and food.

We will certainly repeat this itinerary next winter, so please do not hesitate to contact us and visit our tour calendar for the next schedule trip to Morocco.

Wildlife report in the Cantabrian Mountains

I am regular visitor of the Cantabrian mountains and Picos de Europa. As a result, I have spent many summers searching for its wonderful wildlife. Here you can read my last wildlife trip report in the Cantabrian Mountains.

We usually run two types of wildlife tours. In June, we start leading natural history tours mainly consisting of orchids, butterflies, birds, etc. and during September, the itineraries are more focus on mammals: wildcat, Iberian wolf and brown bear.

Wildlife report in the Cantabrian Mountains

Dates: June 25-July 1st

Day 1. Santander airport-Boca de Húergamo

The group arrives on time to Santander airport and soon we are in the minibus heading to our accommodation in Boca de Húergamo. After 2 h 40 min journey, everyone is willing to stretch the legs before dinner. We walk around the surroundings of the hotel watching Serins, Black redstarts and two White storks in the nest. Mike finds a Hummingbird-hawk moth in a honeysuckle. After that, we stroll down to the river when Pau finds an adult Dipper feeding three grown-up chicks. On the way back, we take another path to see the beautiful Lilium martagon.

Day 2. Crémenes. Wildlife report Cantabrian mountains

Glanville Fritillary-Wildlife report Cantabrian mountains

We set off at 9:00 driving South to the village of Crémenes. Soon we see the first orchids: Lizzard, Pyramidal and Woodcock orchids. Sadly, the Sawfly orchids are almost over. Black kites, Griffon vultures and Common buzzard patrol the sky and the nearby farms looking for some carcass. As the temperature warms up, we start finding the first butterflies: Clouded yellow and Berger’s clouded yellow, Spotted fritillary, Small tortoiseshell and a Heath fritillary which finds Edward’s T-shirt a good place to land.

Just few of us, manage to see an Iberian chiffchaff which keeps jumping from branch to branch. After that, we continue walking along a small stream watching a Beautiful damselfly and few more species of butterflies: Green-vein white, Adoni’s blue, Essex and Small skippers. Not far from there, we add two more species of orchids: Small-tongue orchid and Green-winged orchid, the last one almost over.

Mediterranean habitat in the lowlands: birds and butterflies in Cantabria

Iberian Marbled White-wildlife cantabrian mountains

We get back to the vehicles and drive a short distance to a picnic area. As we are enjoying our salads and local cheese, Jenny gets her eyes in two birds which turn to be an Egyptian vulture and a Peregrine falcon. The grass in the picnic area hasn’t been cut yet and therefore, there are lots of gorgeous butterflies such as Iberian Marbled white, Dark-green and Cardinal fritillaries.

Once we have finished lunch, we drive for 20 minutes to our next location. Here the landscape is a bit more Mediterranean, and so are the birds! We enjoy great views of the colourful Bee-eaters and a Red-back shrike. Sadly, just Pau see a Short-toed eagle after it vanishes behind the hill. In addition, we all see a Melodious warbler singing on the top of a bush and an Iberian green woodpecker flying from tree to tree. Some new butterflies include Silver-studded, Long-tailed and Little blue, Large and Oberthür’s grizzled skipper.

Day 3. Fuente Dé. Alpine birds and flora in the Cantabrian Mountains

Lammergeier-birding tours in Spain

Today we have a long drive (1 h 40 min) to Fuente Dé. Once we get there, Pau rushes to get the tickets so the waiting time is just 30 min. Meanwhile, we wander around watching a beautiful Firecrest and a Coal tit. In addition, there are large numbers of Painted lady which have been pushed to Europe as a result of the heat wave a few days ago.

Once we get out of the cable car, we soon find some alpine plants. For instance, Trumpet gentian and the Pyrenean toadflax. We continue walking and taking photos of “cheeky” Alpine chough and we are rewarded with the sight of a Lammergeier. That is fantastic! It is even possible to see the numbers in the wing tags as most of the birds in this area are part of a restocking programme. During the winter 2020, a pair of Lammergueiers have mate and laid an egg. This is the first breeding attempt in many decades. Let’s hope they succed!

Wallcreeper: The bird that looks like a butterfly!

Wallcreeper-Wildlife report in the Cantabrian Mountains

We keep moving as we have more birds to see, but before we get to the spot, Pau sees a Southern Chamois resting among the boulders. Once we get to the “wall”, we wait for 30 min until two Snow finches show up. After that, we stop in another area to scan the walls, finding a Wallcreeper, that is great! It keeps hiding just showing for seconds.

While we wait to get better views of the Wallcreeper, Pau finds two approachable Alpine accentors. Finally, the Wallcreeper remains on view and all the group gets good sight of this stunning bird. The breeze carries the butterflies away and makes difficult to spot any of them, just finding a Common blue and a Common Brassy ringlet.

After some refreshments in the bar, we take the cable car back and set off to the hotel.

Day 4. Valdeón valley. Flowers ans butterflies in the Cantabrian Mountains

Scarce cooper-Wildlife report Cantabrian mountains

Our first stop today is to add an interesting bird to our list, the Citril finch. In the same spot, we add two more species of orchids: Heath spotted orchid and Dactylorhiza incarnata. After that, we continue driving along the beautiful Valdeón valley and stop near a stream. As we get off the vehicle, we get a nicely perched Yellowhammer and a Linnet. The meadows are packed with flowers such as the endemic Digitalis parviflora, the beautiful Linaria elegans, Trollius europaeus and the purple Jasione laevis just to name few. The hillsides are pink as the heath (Calluna vulgaris) is in full bloom. There are some interesting butterflies like the Scarce Swallowtail, Scarce copper and Turquoise blue.

We keep driving admiring the stunning views from Pandetrave pass, the towering Picos mountains are right in front of us. Our next stop is in Posada de Valedón, where we have coffee and take a stroll along the village. We watch a family of Marsh tits picking insects in the dung and not far from there a beautiful male Common redstart stands out. In a hillside we find a nice Flax (Linum narbonense).

After eating the picnic, we spend the rest of the afternoon wandering around the meadows and we add a new species of orchid, the Dark red Helleborine. There were also Man orchids but already in seedpods. The meadows are full of butterflies: Pearly and Chestnut heath, Iberian marbled white, Glanville fritillary and Short-tailed blue to name few. John and Pau find in different corners of the meadows two Owl flies (Ascalaphidae) which turn to be two different species.

Day 5. Lois valley. Butterflies in the Cantabrian Mountains

Dusky large Blue-butterflies Cantabrian mountains

Today, we head South to visit the valley where Pau lives. Our first stop is by the road to see a group of blooming Butterfly orchids and some Robust marsh orchids that were starting to come into flower.

We take a stroll along the river finding the path covered by Butterworts and Heath-spotted orchids. Soon we see the first species of butterflies: Ringlet, a Southern brown argus and a sunbathing Spanish purple hairstreak. Suddenly, a large butterfly catches our eyes, an Apollo butterfly! It lands on a Cephalaria allowing us fantastic views! On the way back to the minibus we add Chalk-hill blue and Spanish gatekeeper.

Orchids in Crémenes

Chapman's ringlet in Picos de Europa

A short stop in the town of Crémenes reveals Common twayblade and Marsh helleborine. The surprise comes when we see a Black vulture, an uncommon species around here.

We set off to Lois where we have a coffee stop before visiting the “smoking house” and the cathedral. The smoking house is a remarkable building from a traditional and cultural point of view. Until the 90’s it was inhabited. The way locals used to isolate the straw roof and to warm the house was by burning wood inside the building and allowing the smoke to get out through the roof and walls. As there were no chimneys in the facilities, the houses used to have a thick layer of soot covering both, walls and roof. Living in the Cantabrian mountains used to be tough!

The cathedral is also worth visiting it. It is a pretty large cathedral considering the tiny size of the village. Moreover, this extraordinary building is a sign of a past when the rights of grazing and the cattle transhumance meant an important income for the villagers.

After lunch, we spend a couple of hours looking for butterflies in the meadows. Amanda’s blue, Champman’s ringlet and White admiral are added to the list. It is getting a bit too hot, so we decide to drive back to the hotel. On the way back, we make a short detour to see a roosting Tawny owl.

Day 6. Border with Asturias. Amphibians and dragonflies

Sooty cooper butterfly in Picos

In our last full day, we set toward Asturias. We visit a couple of lagoons hoping to find some Odonata and amphibians. Soon, we find a Four-spotted chaser, Common bluet, Ruddy darter and quite a lot of Western willow spreadwing. In terms of plants, we find a single Dactylorhiza insularis, the lovely Viola cornuta, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Valeriana montana and Yellow gentians which are starting to flower. A Booted Eagle and a Tree pipit in full song are seeing. Pau does well when he finds two different amphibians: Stripless tree frog and an Iberian frog. We also see some day flying moths like the Speckled footman and Isturgia flamula.

Our next stop is to have lunch. It is a beautiful sunny day, so we take a stroll and find a worn-out Camberwell beauty. In a nearby meadow, Pau shows us a boggy area where we see the scarce Dusky large blue, one of the rarest and more threatened butterflies in Spain. Other butterflies seen include Cleopatra, Meadow fritillary and Sooty copper among others.

Day 7. Boca de Huérgamo-Santander. Wildlife report to the Cantabrian Mountains

Wildlife report Cantabrian mountains-Cirl Bunting

As the departure is in the afternoon, Pau has planned a couple of stops on the way to the airport. The first one is South of Guardo in an open plateau. Our first birds of the day are Spotless starlings and a couple of Cirl buntings. In addition, Black-veined whites, Great banded graylings and Gatekeepers seems to be everywhere! Mick finds a pair of Whinchats perched. Pau spots a Tawny Pipit and later we see a Hopooe looking for grubs near a dung pile.

Our picnic and last stop are in the marshes of Santander. A fantastic restoration project and a nice area to walk around. Here we see some rafts where Common Terns are breeding and a large colony of Cattle egrets.

Whit no more time, we drive the short distance to the airport and say goodbye to the group, what a beautiful wildlife holiday!

Should you have any question, please do not hesitate to contact us or visit our tour calendar.

Wildlife report to the Cantabrian Mountains. Pau Lucio

Butterflies in Valencia

A great diversity of butterflies in Valencia, Spain

In this article we analitze the diversity and some of the key butterfly species that can be found in the Spanish region of Valencia, a butterfly sanctuary.

Why are there some many butterflies in Valencia?

butterflies in Valencia

Valencia region, in East Spain is considered one of the most diverse European areas for butterflies. A staggering 159 species of butterflies have been recorded. That means 72% of all the species found in the Iberian Peninsula.

The key of this diversity is due to its variety of habitats. In the South and West, the climate is much dryer, with a semi-desert habitat. Here we find some beautiful butterflies from the Euchloe genera, i.e. Green-striped white (Euchloe belemia), Portuguese dappled white (Euchloe tagis) and Western dappled white (Euchloe crameri). In addition, close to the cereal crops and fallow fields, we can see the Sooty orange-tip (Zegris eupheme).

The scrubland, a rich habitat for butterflies 

Butterflies in Valencia

During March/April, if we visit the Mediterranean scrubland we might find a nice variety of Lycaenidae. Panoptes blue (Pseudophilotes panoptes) and the stunning Adoni’s blue (Lysandra bellargus) are common species. In addition, we can see the colourful Provence hairstreak (Tomares ballus), Black-eyed blue (Glaucopsyche melanops) and the endemic Mother of pearl blue (Polyommatus nivescens).

Other species we might encounter include Spanish festoon (Zerynthia rumina) which tends to be located in small areas where the food plan (Aristolochia pistolochia) is abundant. What’s more, Provence orange tit (Anthocharis euphenoides) and the beautiful Green hairstreak (Callophrys rubi) are abundant species.

Later in the season, the butterfly diversity changes giving place to Spanish gatekeeper (Pyronia bathseba), Southern marbled skipper (Carcharodus baeticus) and Mallow skipper (Carcharodus alceae). Other butterfly species include Dusky heath (Coenonympha dorus) and Striped grayling (Hipparchia fidia). False ilex hairstreak (Satyrium esculi) and the Blue-spot hairstreak (Satyrium spini) are common species in the scrubland.

In the valleys, are found mainly three different groups of butterflies. The first group is formed by species with a marked Ethiopian origin; Two-tailed Pasha (Charaxes jasius), Mediterranean skipper (Gegenes nostrodamus) and African grass blue (Zizeeria knysna), being the three more abundant towards the end of the summer.

The second group are butterflies with a migratory tendency: Desert orange tip (Colotis evagore) and Plain tiger (Danaus chrysippus) which is very common species in marshes. Finally, the third group is for the invasive species such as the Geranium bronze (Cacyreus marshalli).

Two-tailed Pasha butterfly

Two-tailed Pasha-butterfly reserve in Gandia

Two-tailed Pasha is one of the biggest and most spectacular butterflies found in Europe. It is a bivoltine species, i.e., two annual generations. The first generation occurs in May-June and the second, always more abundant, takes place from the end of July until the end of October. What is more, it is the only butterfly which do not feed on nectar and it is greatly attracted to fermenting fruit. It has a marked territorial and hilltopping behaviour.

It lives in open Mediterranean forests where the caterpillar’s foodplant, the Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), is abundant. This butterfly can be seen in a butterfly micro reserve set in the hills of Gandia which we survey regularly. Please, contact us for more information.

Two mountain ranges creating different conditions, the Baetic System

Spanish Fritillary-butterflies Alicante Mountains

Two mountainous systems cross the Valencian Region, the Baetic and the Iberian. The Baetic System comes all the way from Sierra Nevada, which is the highest mountain in the Iberian Peninsula. It follows a NE direction and once the system arrives to Alicante, it gives place to numerous mountains ranges reaching over 1500 m.s.s.l. For instance, Aitana or Sierra Mariola, the latest being has its higuest 1390 m.a.s.l.

In May, these mountains are covered by a carpet of aromatic flowers mixed with thyme, sage and chamomile. This is heaven for butterflies! There, we can easily find Spanish marbled white (Malanargia ines) and Knapweed Fritillary (Melitaea phoebe). Silver studded blue (Plebejus argus) and Green-underside Blue (Glaucopsyche alexis) reach good density at the end of May.

Another beautiful butterfly we will find easily in Alicante Mountains is the Western marbled white (Melanargia occitanica). However, the star of the show is the lovely Spanish fritillary (Euphydryas desfontainii)!

The Iberian System

butterflies in Valencia Region

On the other hand, the Iberian System follow a SE direction colliding with the Baetic system in the Monduver mountain, near Gandia (Valencia). The Iberian range is different in terms of climate and altitude also allowing a nice variety of butterflies. Here can be found Apollo (Parnassius apollo), Purple-shot copper (Lycaena alciphron) and Spanish argus (Aricia morronensis). Some of the blues include Small blue (Cupido minimus), Escher’s blue (Polyommatus escheri) and Meleager’s blue (Polyommatus daphnis) among many others. Moreover, in the green meadows we will find Chestnut heath (Coenonympha glycerion).

There will also beautiful fritillaries like the, Spotted fritillary (Melitaea didyma), Provençal fritillary (Melitaea deione) and Meadow fritillary (Melitaea parthenoides).

When these mountains range decrease in altitude and become dryer and warmer, we find a good habitat for Great banded greyling (Brintesia circe). In addition, we might find Silver-washed fritillary (Argynnis paphia) and Oberthür’s anomalous blue (Polyommatus fabressei).

In conclusion, Valencia region offers a great number of butterflies being one of the most diverse regions in Spain.

We post regularly photos of this beauties in our Instagram page. Join one of our day butterfly walks and tailor-made tours around Valencia Region and Montes Universales! For schedule trips, please visit our tour calendar or contact us. Next May we have planned a 7-day itinerary focus on butterflies and other wildlife in Valencia.

Orchids in Valencia

Orchids in Valencia, a stunning diversity of wild orchids to explore with a local guide

Orchids tours in Valencia

The Valencia Region offers a wealth of opportunities for visitors to get in touch with nature and to admire numerous species of orchids, making this region a delightful destination for plant and wildlife lovers.

Mediterranean orchids produce microscopic seeds, which have no reserve tissues to support the embryo when it germinates. That is why they must be associated with fungi as soon as they germinate. The fungi provide them with some of their nourishment. These are the so-called ‘mycorrhizae’, which are highly specific to each place and most likely to each species. Besides, because they depend on fungi, these plants cannot live with harmful substances like sulphur and copper. In other words, that is why most orchids only grow in very natural places.

In Valencia Region, there are still good natural patches to look for orchids. Abandon orchards and natural meadows are probably the best habitats.

How many species of orchids have been found in Valencia?

Orchids in Valencia

A total of 70 species of wild orchids have been identified in the Valencia Region, most of them classified as very rare. In addition, numerous uncommon hybrids such as Ophrys x castroviejoi, Ophrys x pielteri, Ophrys x pseudoespeculum, Orchis x bivonae and Ophrys x serrae can be found in the region.

The diverse climate, soils and mountain ranges in the Valencia Region provides the perfect habitat for wide range of orchids. Some live in arid areas at low altitudes, such as the Fan-lipped orchid (Orchis collina) which can be seen in Alicante. On the other hand, others are found in the high mountains: Sierra Mariola and Penyagolosa. For instance, in the Penyagolosa (North of Castellón) you will find Elder-flowered orchid (Dactylorhiza sambucina) and Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii). In addition, in the woods you will find Helleborines (Epipactis kleinii), Red Hellebotine (Cephalanthera rubra) and White Helleborine (Cephalanthera damasonium). What is more, there are small patches with Butterfly orchids (Platanthera), Fragant orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea) and Bird nest orchid (Neottia nidus-avis), among others.

Regarding Sierra Mariola in Alicante, here we will look for Pink butterfly orchid (Anacamptis papilonacea), the gorgeous Lady orchid (Orchis purpurea) and Violet limodore (Limodorum abortivum).

Bee-orchids, the most common ones

Bug orchid tours Valencia

Many of our orchids, particularly those of the genus Ophrys (the most common type in Valencia’s lowlands) have flowers that look like wild bees. This is an adaptation to attract pollinators, which, are looking for a mate.

Among our orchids, there is an endemic species Ophrys lucentina. It is a bee orchid with a distinctive yellow border in the “labellum”. Moreover, we can find other beauties like the Sombre-bee Orchid (Ophrus lupercalis), Dark-bee orchid (Ophrys dyris), the Mirror orchid (Ophrys speculum) and the Yellow Bee orchid (Ophrys lutea) to name just a few.

The genera Orchis is also well represented with gorgeous hybrids like Orchis x bivonae. This is an hybrid from the combination of Italian man orchid (Orchis italica) and Man orchid (Ochis anthropophora). Besides, it is not unusual to find large parched of Bug orchids (Orchis fragans) mixed with Pyramidal orchids (Anacamptis pyramidalis).

We cannot overlook the largest of all, the impressive Giant orchid (Himantoglossum robertianum). A rather common specie and one of the earliest species to bloom.

In Valencia region is also possible to find a large number of Helleborine. The most common ones are Narrow-leaved Helleborine (Cephalanthera longifolia), White Helleborine (Cephalanthera damasonium) and red Helleborine (Cephalanthera rubra). However, you might find some restricted range species such as Epipactis cardina, Epipactis tremolsii or Epipactis phyllanthes. They are found in the forested and highest mountains in the region. On the other hand, in the lowlands close to the coast is possible to find two species of Serapias. These are Tongue orchid (Serapia lingua) and the Small-flowered tongue orchid (Serapia parviflora).

Finally, in Autumn we are delighted with the last orchid of the season, the Autumn lady’s tresses (Spiranthes spiralis).

You can read more about the orchids found in the Valencia region and Spain in the following article. We as a local experts organise orchids walks that can be combined with butterflies, dragonflies and birdwatching tours. Please, do not hesitate to contact us for further information.

Birding trip report Morocco

We hope this birding trip report to Morocco describes the beauty of the landscape as well as the diversity of the birds seen during our Atlas Mountains and Sahara desert trip.

Day 1: 30th November. Marrakech (Birding trip report Morocco)

nomads during the trip to Morocco

Carles, Jenny and Pau arrived the day before to Marrakech. During breakfast, Rod arrives and the four of them go for a walk around the city. Shortly after leaving the hotel they see the first Common Bulbul singing in a garden. Just in front of them, in an old mill, Pau spot a small group of House Buntings. After that, the group continues walking to the garden of El Hartí where  spend the morning watching birds until the arrival of Chris.

After lunch, Hamid the local guide picks them up to visit the city centre, the medina and the Bahia Palace. Finally, a visit to the bustling Jemaa El Fna, a must-see in Marrakech. The square is full of vendors of spices and leather goods, snake charmers, Barbary macaque to take pictures with and countless places to eat. During the stroll, they observe different species of birds, among them White Storks, Little Swifts and a Common Sparrowhawk.

At dinner time, the six members of the group join, and Pau brief them about the plan for the next day.

Day 2: December 1st. Marrakech-High Atlas (Wildlife trip report to Morocco)

Crimson winged finch-birding trip  Morocco

At 9 o’clock in the morning the group leaves Marrakech towards the beautiful mountains of the High Atlas. The first stop is excellent for birds. As soon as they arrive, a small group of Maghreb Magpies show up. This species was split as a different species from the Common Magpie during this year, 2018. Not far from the Magpies, they find a beautiful Moussier’s Redstart, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful birds in all of Morocco. The search for birds continues in the surroundings and soon John find a Southern Grey Shrike of the subspecies elegans. A different subspecies of the Great Grey Shrike that is found in UK. In a nearby cultivated fields, the group locates a group of Barbary Partridges, and at the top of a mound a Little Owl stands out.

The party continues the trip to the High Atlas stopping at the Oukaimeden mountain pass. Along the way, children sell fruits of the strawberry trees in small stands along the road. In a short stop to take landscape pictures, a pair of Bonelli’s Eagle fly over them just few meters away. Superb! Once Hamid drives them to the mountain pass (2600 m asl), is time for having lunch: Moroccan salad and chicken tajin. Now with the bellies full, everyone is ready to look for the specialities of the Atlas.

Oukaimeden pass

In the nearby meadows, a large flock of Common Chaffinch and Rock Sparrow are seen. After an hour of unsuccessful search of the Crimson-winged Finch, they set off to try their luck in another area. Suddenly, a small group of Crimson-winged Finch shows up and lands few meters away from them. That’s a treat for photographers!!! Finally, the last stop of the day is in a meadow where they see the beautiful Atlas Horned Lark and Black Wheatear.

As they have seen all the targets and there is still light, the group decides to make a last stop for woodpeckers. The stop is well worth it as they find the endemic Levaillant’s Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker and the African Blue Tit. Happy with the sightings, the group goes to the lodge; beautiful stone cabins surrounded by cedars and junipers in the Atlas Mountains. The night is chilly so the staff kindly light the fire in the cabins, making our stay even more pleasant.

Day 3: September 2nd. High Atlas-Boumalne du Dades (Birding trip report to Morocco)

Thick billed lark-birds of Morocco

Today is basically a transfer from the mountains to the semi-desert of Boumalne du Dades, in total 350 km. The pace of the trip is slow but steady. Few weeks ago, there were severe floods that damaged the main road which crosses the Atlas. Some stops are made along the way to stretch the legs and to see the scarce Magreb Wheatear. The landscape is spectacular with massive snow-capped mountains and fertile valleys where people still plough the fields with donkeys and women wash clothes in the rivers.

After few hours, the van drive through the Moroccan “Hollywood” Ouarzazate, where films as popular as Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator or The Mummy have been filmed. After fer hours, Hamid drives the minibus through the city of roses, famous for the cultivation of this flower. Today last stop is to see the White-crowned Wheatear. All in all, a long road journey that is necessary in order to visit very interesting and diverse birding areas in Morocco.

Day 4: September 3rd. Boumalne du Dades (Wildlife trip report to Morocco)

Fulvous Babbler-birding Sahara

After breakfast, the party visit the famous Tagdilt track. Without doubt, this is one of the top areas for birding in Southern Morocco. It takes them only 10 minutes to get there from the hotel in Boumalne du Dades. This track attracts numerous bird species, due to the presence of a nearby landfill. As soon as they arrive, a Long-legged Buzzard flies by in front of them.

Walking along the track, Brahim spots a beautiful male Red-rumped Wheatear, which continually sings its melodic song. The group checks in detail every bird they see and soon find the pretty Thick-billed Lark, a species difficult to find. In addition, the party also enjoys numerous juveniles as well as adults of Temmick’s Larks. What a beautiful bird with its little horns!

The group get into the van and Hamid drives for a couple of kilometres until they bump into a small group of Trumpeter Finches perched on the wires of a fence. At the same time, a beautiful Hoopoe Lark is heard, so the group sets out to look for it in the surrounding fields. They locate up to four different birds, and everyone is impressed by the display of this stunning bird. After that, Hamid take the group to an area to have the picnic. Everyone enjoys the sandwiches of Moroccan omelette while two White-crowned Wheatears perch just few meters away.

On of the favourites: Pharaoh Eagle Owl

About around 1:30 p.m., the party sets off to explore a nearby gorge where they find a small group of Desert Larks. However, the main reason to go there, is to try to locate the Pharaoh Eagle Owl. After looking for it in different areas, Brahim finally find a beautiful bird hiding in a crevice. There is no better way to finish the day than watching this gorgeous owl! As all the targets have been seen, the group decides to return to the hotel a little earlier and have free time the rest of the day. Later, Carles and David go for a walk around the Riat and they find a Laughing Dove.

Day 5: September 4th. Boumalne du Dades-Merzouga (Birding trip report to Morocco)

birding trip report Morocco

After breakfast, the group sets off towards Merzouga. This city is the gate to the Sahara. The first stop of the day is in the popular and touristic gorge of Todra. However, this is mainly a stop to enjoy the impressive walls, to buy some souvenirs and to take some photographs of the old towns built by a mixture of mud and straw. After this, the journey continues for one hour until they get to the restaurant to have lunch.

One hour later, it is time for a birding stop. As soon as the group get off the minibus, a Fulvous Babbler is spotted. Where there is one there is more! This beautiful bird is always found in family groups. After that, everyone starts the search of the “mouse”, or better named the Scrub Warbler. It eludes the group by flying from bush to bush, until finally they get it. Speaking of mice, Carles locates a Fat Sand Rat, a common rodent in desert areas. In addition, other species are seen such as Lesser-short toed Lark and gorgeous Bar-tailed Larks, which stand out for their pale coloration. Finally, the journey continues to the hotel. From the terrace of the rooms, there are spectacular views of the desert dunes.

Day 6: September 5th. Birding in the Sahara Desert

Lanner Falcon-birds Sahara

Today will be a great day of bird watching in the Sahara Desert. After breakfast, the group meet the drivers and split in the two 4×4 vehicles. The first species they watch is the Brown-necked Raven, which stands out for its brownish colour around the neck, smaller wingspan and bill size than the Common Raven. Their next stop is in a nomad house where the group enjoys superb views of Dessert Sparrow and a Hoopoe Lark. Nomads put out every morning some food and water for the birds. This allows very close observations of these stunning birds. While the group enjoys the green tea generously offered by the nomads, a group of 30 Spotted Sandgrouses fly over the dunes. That’s a good start of the day!

Later, the group visits an area with a little more vegetation where  have very good sightings of a Desert Warbler. Furthermore, they see between the bushes a cracking male of Tristram’s Warbler. This bird is much easier found in winter as they spend the cold period in the desert. On the way to the next point, Pau  find a female Desert Wheatear and a stunning Cream-coloured Courser. The luck is on their side, as in winter it is a difficult time to find the Courser which tends to move to the South.

Looking for warblers and other targets in the Sahara Desert

Cream colour courser-birds Sahara

At lunchtime, they have a tasty Berber couscous and take the opportunity to buy fossils in the family shop of their local guide. Courtesy of Brahim. During the afternoon, the group set out to look for the only species that remains to be seen, the Lanner Falcon. The sun is strong and the area they explore is facing the sun. While part of the group scans the sky looking for the Falcons, others enjoy the butterflies. There are many interesting species to watch, but the most numerous is the Painted Lady. It has recently been published in a paper that this species is the longest continuously migrating butterfly ever recorded, even more than the Monarch.

The group decides to try their luck with the Lanner Falcon in another area. As they scan the wall, a Red Fox pops up its head from a cave, but no sight of the Falcon. The group is divided to cover the whole area and can only watch the Lanner Falcon for few seconds and far away. Finally, when they were heading back to the vehicles, a Lanner Falcon perched on the wall is spotted by Brahim. A few minutes later, another bird arrives and perches few meters away from the other bird. Happy for finding the bird, the group heads back to the hotel. A wonderful day in the desert!

Day 7: September 6th. Merzouga-Ouarzazate (Wildlife trip report to Morocco)

Bar tailed lark-birding trip report Morocco

Today it will start the journey back to Marrakech. During the morning the van crosses the Anti-Atlas mountain range where the Acacias trees dominate the landscape. They make a short stop in this area and find a pair of Tristram’s Warblers, which hide quickly in the thick trees. Ten minutes later, the van is back on the road until lunchtime. The stop is in a restaurant with fabulous views to an oasis. Here small groups of Laughing doves and a colourful Plain Tiger Butterfly are seen.

After an hour’s drive, Hamid stops at the Dadès River, where they find the Moroccan subspecies of White Wagtail and a Cetti’s Warbler among other birds. The last stop before arriving at the hotel is in the reservoir of El Mansour where they see numerous Ruddy Shelducks, Ducks, White Storks and Maghreb Lark, which is considered by some authors a subspecies of the Crested Lark.

Day 8: September 7th. Ouarzazate-Atlas Mountains (Birding in Morocco)

Today’s route runs through the pass of Tizi n’Tichka (2260 m asl) offering spectacular views. One hour later, a stop is made to see a female Blue-rock Thrush perched on the roof of a farm. In the same area, they find a beautiful male of a Moussier’s Redstart and Thekla Larks. The journey continues with a stop for coffee and another to have lunch on a terrace with stunning views of the Atlas Mountains. Before getting to the hotel, a short stroll is taken through some wheat fields. Here they find six Barbary Partridges, Linnets, Corn Bunting and a Long-legged Buzzard.

Day 9: September 8th. Birding in the Atlas-Marrakech

Atlas crossbill-birding trip report Morocco

After breakfast, the group go for a walk through the wooded area in ​​the hotel, finding different Common crossbills. It is very likely that this subspecies of Atlas Crossbill will be soon split and therefore be a different species than the Common Crossbill that can be observed in UK. In addition, they find Cirl Bunting, Coal and African Blue Tit and the two subspecies of Chaffinches, the nominal one, and the africana one which is exclusive of North Africa.

Around 11:30 a.m., they are transferred to the airport in Marrakech. Sadly, the birding trip to Morocco comes to an end. All have enjoyed spectacular scenery, birds and a wonderful culture and will certainly go back to Morocco.

Please, do not forget to subscribe to our newsletter, so you will be informed about our international trips!

A completed check-list can be seen and download from here. The March 2020 trip report is available here.

For more information regarding our next bird watching trip to Morocco, please visit our tour calendar.

Birding tour to the Strait of Gibraltar

Birding tour to the Strait of Gibraltar

September 14th-18th

The strait of Gibraltar and the surroundings are a wonderful place to witness the bird migration. We organise birdwatching and birding tours to the Strait og Gibraltar every spring and autumn. Please find our last trip report below.

Day 1. Málaga airport-Tarifa (Birding in the Strait of Gibraltar)

Bald Ibis-Birding tour to the Strait of Gibraltar

It is a beautiful morning in Málaga airport. Pau is waiting for the arriving of the group from Bristol airport.

After greetings, we set off towards the Strait of Gibraltar for birding in the most important migratory bottleneck in West Europe. As we are getting close to Tarifa, we see the Rock of Gibraltar on our side and the Djebel Musa on the African side. Our first stop is in route, in Palmones river mouth where a Lesser Crested Tern was spotted few days before. This vagrant is recorded every autumn in the region.  It takes just few minutes to get this beautiful tern in the scope. It stands out in a mix group of Sandwich and Little Terns. Along the muddy shores, we see different waders: Dunlins, Sandernings, Redshanks and Kentish Plover. In addition, there are 4 different species of gulls, including Mediterranean Gulls, Audouin’s and Slender-billed Gulls. On the back of the main lagoon a group of Greater Flamingos rest along egrets and herons.

We continued our journey towards the accommodation to enjoy our first Spanish dinner.

Day 2. Western Doñana (Barbate marshes and Bonanza)

Birdwatching in Tarifa

We have a long day planned and indeed it is! We have an early breakfast at the hotel and set off to the West part of Doñana Natural Park. The first stop of the day is for Bald Ibis, which a sighting of 24 birds feeding along Jackdaw. It is great to see how well they are doing after the reintroduction! 

After enjoying these weird-looking birds, we make a detour to see Stone Curlew in Barbate. We continue our journey stopping for the Little Swift, watching a colony of about 20 pairs. After that, we get to a pond to see White-headed Ducks where we have lunch. In the surroundings of the pond, we get an Iberian Green Woodpecker flying over the woods. The rest of the day is spent in Bonanza saltpans. We scan the reeds in detail and we get good views of Western Purple Swamp-hen, Squacco Heron and Little Bittern. Regarding waterfowl, we find swimming around Red-crested Pochard and a Marbled Teal among others species.

On the saltpans, we see three different species of terns: Gull-billed, Black and Caspian Tern. Furthermore, there are both species of Godwits, Little Stints, Turnstone and other waders.

Finally, we make a stop in the surroundings for Lesser-short toed Lark. As we wait for them to show up, we see flying over our first Osprey.

It has been a long day and we still have a bit of driving ahead. Thus, we set off to the hotel after a successful birding day in the Strait of Gibraltar.

Day 3. Viewpoints and forest (Birding tour to the Strait of Gibraltar)

Birding tour Strait Gibraltar-Honey Buzzard

In our third day of this exciting birding tour to the Strait of Gibraltar we start the day watching the migration from a viewpoint. During the morning we add Lesser Kestrel, numerous Sparrowhawks and Bee-eaters, which are one of the favorite birds. Then, suddenly the sky is covered by a flock of 120 Black Storks!!! What an amazing and unusual sighting!! As the wind speed up again, we set off to the forest west of Tarifa. Here, sheltered from the wind, there are numerous passerines waiting for the right conditions to migrate. A female Redstart moves from the busses to the Umbrella pines, and in the branches there are Garden Warblers and both flycatchers: Pied and Spotted. In a Pistacia bush there are different warblers feeding on berries which turn out to be Sardenian Warbler and Bonelli’s Warbler.

After lunch, we drive towards la Janda, to look for new species. White Storks, Glossy Ibises and Egrets feed on the farmland. We continue driving along the track to find Tree and Spanish sparrows, Yellow wagtail and over 30 Turtle doves. We are very pleased to see so many Turtle Doves together, sadly an unusual sighting nowadays.  The day finishes with a stunning pair of Spanish Imperial Eagle perched on a Pilon.

Day 4. Whale and seabird watching in the Strait of Gibraltar

Birding tour Strait Gibraltar

After breakfast we drive for few minutes to our first watchpoint. Winds play an important role in the migration, so depending of the wind direction we will choose a location. Soon, we watch our first raptors of the day: Booted Eagles, Black Kites, Short-toed Eagles and Honey Buzzard. The wind makes them fly a bit higher but the number of raptors is just amazing! We enjoy watching the interaction between birds. Raptors are mobbed by a Peregrine Falcon which ends up diving after a group of feral pigeons. Other interesting raptors include Egyptian Vultures, Bonelli’s Eagle and a Montagu’s Harrier.

As the weather has improved today, we decide to take the boat trip hoping to add seabirds and whales. As we wait to jump on the boat, we get a group of Pallid Swifts flying around. Once we are few miles away from Tarifa, we get a single Storm Petrel. About half an hour later, we see a group of 6 Pilot whales swimming right besides us. A fantastic sight! Later, we see a group of Cory’s Shearwaters. We also see two species of dolphins: Common Dolphin and Bottlenose Dolphin

After lunch, we look for birds among the cork oak forest.  Here we get Short-toed treecreeper, Crested Tit, Jay, Firecrest, Subalpine Warbler and other forest birds. On the way back we get two “extra” raptors, a fast flying Hobby and a Goshawk. Later we drive back to our accommodation.

Day 5 Tarifa-Málaga airport 

Today is our last day of the tour and we make the most of the few hours left before heading to Malaga airport. We go back to la Janda and this time we do get Black-shoulder Kite and few more waders:  Common Snipe, Wood and Green Sandpiper.

All in all, it has been a successful birding trip around the strait of Gibraltar with a great diversity of species, including good number of raptors. Thanks everyone for joining this trip. Should you have any question, please do not hesitate to contact us or visit our tour calendar.

BIRD LIST

  1. Little Grebe
  2. Cory’s Shearwater
  3. European Storm-Petrel
  4. Northern Gannet
  5. Great Cormorant
  6. Little Bittern
  7. Night Heron
  8. Cattle Egret
  9. Squacco Heron
  10. Little Egret
  11. Gray Heron
  12. Black Stork
  13. White Stork
  14. Glossy Ibis
  15. Northern Bald Ibis
  16. Eurasian Spoonbill
  17. Greater Flamingo
  18. Gadwall
  19. Mallard
  20. Northern Shoveler
  21. Marbled Duck
  22. Red-crested Pochard
  23. Common Pochard
  24. White-headed Duck
  25. Honey Buzzard
  26. Black-shouldered Kite
  27. Black Kite
  28. Egyptian Vulture
  29. European Griffon Vulture
  30. Short-toed Eagle
  31. Marsh Harrier
  32. Montagu’s Harrier
  33. Northern Goshawk
  34. Eurasian Sparrowhawk
  35. Common Buzzard
  36. Booted Eagle
  37. Spanish Imperial Eagle
  38. Bonelli’s Eagle
  39. Osprey
  40. Lesser Kestrel
  41. Common Kestrel
  42. Hobby
  43. Peregrine
  44. Red-legged Partridge
  45. Ring-necked Pheasant
  46. Common Moorhen
  47. Common Coot
  48. Red-knobbed Coot
  49. Purple Swamp-Hen
  50. Eurasian Oystercatcher
  51. Black-winged Stilt
  52. Pied Avocet
  53. Little Ringed Plover
  54. Common Ringed Plover
  55. Kentish Plover
  56. Grey Plover
  57. Sanderling
  58. Little Stint
  59. Temminck’s Stint
  60. Dunlin
  61. Curlew Sandpiper
  62. Ruff
  63. Common Snipe
  64. Black-tailed Godwit
  65. Bar-tailed Godwit
  66. Whimbrel
  67. Common Redshank
  68. Spotted Redshank
  69. Common Greenshank
  70. Common Sandpiper
  71. Green Sandpiper
  72. Wood Sandpiper
  73. Ruddy Turnstone
  74. Mediterranean Gull
  75. Audouin’s Gull
  76. Black-headed Gull
  77. Slender-billed Gull
  78. Lesser Black-backed Gull
  79. Yellow-legged Gull
  80. Caspian Tern
  81. Sandwich Tern
  82. Lesser-Crested Tern
  83. Little Tern
  84. Whiskered Tern
  85. Black Tern
  86. Rock Pigeon (feral)
  87. Woodpigeon
  88. Collared-Dove
  89. Turtle Dove
  90. Red-necked Nightjar
  91. Pallid Swift
  92. Alpine Swift
  93. Little Swift
  94. Common Kingfisher
  95. European Bee-eater
  96. Eurasian Hoopoe
  97. Iberian Green Woodpecker
  98. Great Spotted Woodpecker
  99. Monk Parakeet
  100. Lesser-short-toed Lark
  101. Short-toed Lark
  102. Crested Lark
  103. Sand Martin
  104. House Martin
  105. Barn Swallow
  106. Red-rumped Swallow
  107. Tawny Pipit
  108. White Wagtail
  109. Yellow Wagtail
  110. Wren (heard)
  111. European Robin
  112. Common Redstart
  113. Whinchat
  114. Common Stonechat
  115. Northern Wheatear
  116. Blue Rock Thrush
  117. Blackbird
  118. Cetti’s Warbler (heard)
  119. Zitting Cisticola
  120. European Reed Warbler
  121. Western Subalpine Warbler
  122. Sardinian Warbler
  123. Common Whitethroat
  124. Garden Warbler
  125. Blackcap
  126. Willow Warbler
  127. Bonelli’s Warbler
  128. Firecrest
  129. Spotted Flycatcher
  130. Pied Flycatcher
  131. Crested Tit
  132. Blue Tit
  133. Great Tit
  134. Nuthatch
  135. Short-toed Treecreeper
  136. Iberian Shrike
  137. Woodchat Shrike
  138. Magpie
  139. Jay
  140. Jackdaw
  141. Common Raven
  142. Spotless Starling
  143. House Sparrow
  144. Tree Sparrow
  145. Spanish Sparrow
  146. Chaffinch
  147. European Serin
  148. European Greenfinch
  149. Goldfinch
  150. Common Linnet
  151. Corn Bunting

OTHER WILDLIFE

  1. Common Dolphin
  2. Bottlenose Dolphin
  3. Long-finned Pilot-Whale
  4. Sunfish
  5. Iberian Bluetail
  6. Lesser Emperor
  7. Red-veined Darter
  8. Banded Groundling
  9. Common Swallowtail
  10. Meadow brown

Butterflies in Sierra Nevada

Butterflies in Sierra Nevada, a European hot spot for wildlife.

Idas blue-butterflies in Sierra Nevada

Sierra Nevada in SE Spain is the highest mountain of the Iberian Peninsula, with picks exceeding 3400 meters above sea level. This is a wonderful place for enjoying wildlife, especially for butterflies and plants with a high proportion of endemics. 

In this impressive altitudinal range has been recorded no less than 127 species of butterflies.

During early July I got an enquire asking me for a couple of days looking for butterflies in Sierra Nevada. After making all the arrangement, I meet the small party on June 5th and we set off to Sierra Nevada ski resort.

Day 1. Butterflies in the ski resort

orchids and butterflies in Sierra Nevada

The wind is strong in the summit so we decide to walk along small gorge where we should be more sheltered from the wind. Our first sights are a group of Spanish Ibex, a solitary Griffon Vulture and a gorgeous male Rufous tailed rock thrush.

After searching for half an hour, we find the first of many stunning Nevada Blues. The morning is a bit cold, so they are half asleep. Lindsay, Peter and I take advantage of this and take some nice pictures of this endemic butterfly. Later, we carry out our search and find good number of Small tortoiseshell, Adonis, Escher’s and Common Blue butterflies. Furthermore, we get views of Spanish brass ringlet which fly off as soon as we approach.  Sadly, the strong wind makes impossible to find the local race of Apollo butterfly.

After coffee and facilities in a near Kiosk, we drive down and park near a hotel. Pau wants to have a look in a wet meadow where he has seen in the pass Purple-shot cooper. The first thing we spot is a beautiful Robust marsh orchid and a common Swallowtail butterfly. Flying around there are dozens of Pallid Swifts, Black redstarts and Northern wheatear. John spots a Purple-shot cooper drinking in the ground and Pau finds a Rock Grayling and a Small skipper.

Our last stop is on the way to the Hotel, in a pond near Villanueva. Here we get 10 species of dragonflies and damselflies, including Blue-eye, Small redeye, White featherleg, Broad scarlet and Violet dropwing among others.

We arrive to the Hotel around 2:30. As it is already hot (31ºC), the rest of the day is spent by the Hotel’s swimming pool.

Day 2. Butterflies in Sierra Nevada

Nevada blue butterfly

The following day, we set off again to look for more butterflies in Sierra Nevada. Pau suggests trying another location for Apollo butterfly. After driving for 1 hour, we get over 2200 meter high and park the vehicle. We start following a track finding Water Pipit and Dunnocks. Soon we find our first Apollo butterflies, followed for 30+ more. Other butterflies sightings include Queen of Spain Fritillary, Painted lady, Long-tailed Blue, Amanda’s blue, Wall Brown and Ida’s Blue.

On the way down, we have a quick visit to the Botanic garden. Here we find an adult and a caterpillar of Moroccan Orange Tip. In addition, we see a beautiful Iberian Marbled White and a Silver studded blue “drinking” nectar on a thistle. Regarding birds, a Golden Eagle is seen by Lindsay and John, and in the nearby pine forest a family of Rock buntings feeds on seeds. Pau finds a Crested tit picking insects from the bark.

We continue the trip looking for butterflies in Sierra Nevada and drive down to a much lower altitude towards Güejar-Sierra. In a meadow, we get Wall brown, Blue-spot hairstreak, Gatekeeper and Southern Gatekeeper. There are also Yellow Clouded, Southern Speckled Wood and Lulworth skipper among others. All flying around plants of the Eryngium genus.

Our final stop is in a path along the Genil river. Marbled White, Cleopatra and Meadow brown are everywhere. The river is patrol by Common Goldenring dragonflies and we also bump into a Large psammodromus which was enjoying a sunbath.

Finally, Pau drives to Granada where the group will remain the following days sightseeing this terrific city. All in all, an enjoyable couple of days in these wonderful mountains full of interesting butterflies. In total, we recorded 65 species of butterflies. Please, do not hesitate to contact us for any schedule or tailor made tour around Granada and Sierra Nevada.

We publish regularly our butterflies photos in Instagram. Are you interested in dragonflies?

Wildlife trip report to Valencia, La Mancha, Madrid and the Pyrenees.

Welcome to our wildlife report to Valencia, La Mancha, Madrid and Pyrenees. We planned this itinerary to cover most of the habitats found in mainland Spain in order to get a good diversity of birds. May 2018

Day 1. Wildlife trip report. Valencia – La Mancha.

Wildlife report Valencia La Mancha Madrid and Pyrenees

At 8:45 sharp, Deidre, Karmela and Rod are picked up by Pau from their hotel in Valencia. They drive west through a busy traffic in Valencia, and about 1:10 h later arrive to Fuenterrobles, close to the border with La Mancha. After a short walk in the scrubland, Pau finds a Thekla Lark and a stunning male Black-eared Wheatear perched on a telephone wire. Pau ears a familiar call and after few minutes searching they get their reward, a beautiful Spectacled warbler. On a nearby field, Greater short toed larks delight the group with their full song in a beautiful morning.

They continue driving along the A3 for 1:30 h to a local bar to have lunch. Their next stop is in the lagoons of “La Mancha Húmeda”. By the road, there is a small pond packed with birds, including 40+ Black terns, numerous species of waders and a pair of the most wished Bearded tits. They drive along the track and find the colourful Bee-eaters and distant Lesser Kestrels.

Finally, the afternoon is spent in Alcázar enjoying close views of White-headed Ducks, Black-necked Grebes and Red-crested Pochards.

Dinner is in a local restaurant in Belmonte: Ajoarriero (cod and potato), Patatas bravas, Pisto manchego (ratatouille with egg) and a salad, all washed down with a good bottle of red wine.

Day 2. Wildlife report Valencia La Mancha Madrid and Pyrenees

Wildlife report-White headed Duck

After driving through gorgeous fields of poppies, they arrive to a private state where Rock sparrows thrive in the ruins of what were the facilities of a quarry. Soon after that, they bump into a small patch of Woodcock orchids. This well managed state is a wonderful place for birds. It just take them few minutes to find Subalpine and Melodious warblers, however these birds are no the main reason why Pau take the group here. After searching for few more minutes, they hit the jackpot!! A cracking Eagle Owl takes off from about 12-15 m from where the group is standing. Smiling faces after seen this wonderful raptor.

The rest of the day is spent in the National Park of Tablas de Daimiel and the surrounding area. From the blind they get fantastic views of a Penduline Tit as well as Cetti’s and Savi’s warblers. After a most wanted coffee, they take a stroll to get some of the targets. Soon, they are rewarded with great views of a pair of European rollers mating and Deidre finds a Purple heron carrying a snake in its bill. They keep postponing lunch as there is a lot going on! Rod enjoys watching a pair of Golden orioles chasing one another from tree to tree and Pau finally gets in its scope some Spanish sparrows.

After lunch, they take a stroll around the reeds finding Spoonbills, a Greenshank and a Common coot with chicks which are photographed by Karmela from many different angles. Finally, we stop in the souvenir shop before driving back to our 18th century Hotel.

Day 3. Wildlife report Valencia La Mancha Madrid and Pyrenees

Wildlife report Valencia La Mancha Madrid and Pyrenees

After loading the car they set off to the near farmland. Before reaching the first stop of the day, Pau has to pull over so everyone can get excellent views of a Black vulture. From a nearby almond tree, a stunning Great spotted cuckoo can be seen! That’s a good start! They continue driving but Pau stops again as Deidre spots a Stone curlew followed by another one.

Later, Pau takes them to the magic track where everyone gets excellent views of a male Little bustard displaying. Pau says it is his best view ever! Good to see Little bustards, since there has been a huge decline of these magnificent birds in the last decades. They drive to the following village to locate the elusive Great bustards with no luck. Pau decides to move towards Madrid hoping to find them in another area and bingo! They find 5 stunning males feeding in the arable land. After pleasant views, they drive for 1:30 h to make a stop for coffee and facilities in a petrol station near Madrid.

The group continue the journey towards the north of Madrid and make a stop near Tres Cantos. While they have the picnics lunch there, a Spanish Imperial Eagles display in the air. Fantastic! The air is quite warm, so the butterflies are very active: Marbled White, Kidnapped Fritillary, and Yellow Clouded are seen among others butterflies.

Their final destination is in the steppes close to the hotel in Torrelaguna, where they get close views of a group of 15-20 male Great bustards and a distant male Montagu’s Harrier.

Day 4. Wildlife trip report. Madrid

Citril Finch-Wildlife report to the Pyrenees

Today the group set off to the snow-capped mountains of the National Park of Guadarrrama. The first stop in the mountain pass is rewarded with a group of very confident Citril finches. Everyone enjoys this beautiful bird displaying. Later, after lunch, they visit the woods adding Garden warbler and the Iberian subspecies of Pied flycatcher. The sun is warming up and butterflies start to fly around: Orange tip, De Prunner’s ringlet, Brimstone and Marsh fritillary. Reptiles also seem more than happy with the weather, especially the half meter Ocellated lizard that Pau finds in a wall.  Later we enjoy great views of Tree pipit displaying and raptors such as both kites and Black vultures.

The party leaves the park and head off to the oak forest near el Escorial. Sadly start raining as soon as they find a Cirl bunting. On the way back to the hotel, a flock of Iberian magpies fly right across in front of the car.

After dinner, Deidre and Pau try to locate some of the Red-necked nightjars that Pau saw the previous night. After the rain, the tracks are too muddy to drive with the car so they decide to go for a walk. The night is filled with the sound of Scops owls and Red-necked nightjars. On the walk back to the car, we bump into a Natterjack and a Midwife toad.

Day 5. Wildlife trip report. Madrid – Pyrenees.

Wildlife report Valencia La Mancha Madrid and Pyrenees

Pau suggests having breakfast today at 6:00 am. He would like to try a spot for Dupont’s lark on the way to the Pyrenees.  Once they get to the spot, the weather is not the best for finding this elusive bird, with wind and showers in a cold morning. However, they do get other interesting birds like Common cuckoo, Montagu’s harrier and Rock thrush. On the way back to the motorway, Pau see a Iberian green woodpecker flying to a poplar tree so pulls over to allow everyone views of this woodpecker. At the same time, a Golden oriole pops up in the top of a tree.

After a welcome stop in a local bakery, they set off to Zaragoza for a stop near el Pilar to see Pallid swifts.

The group arrives to Valle de Hecho around 3:30 pm and decide to explore for a couple of hours the surroundings before going to the hotel. In a farm, they get fantastic views of 5 Egyptian vultures displaying and chasing one to another. Karmela keeps pressing the button of her camera. It is just amazing! Later, along the river, we get long views of a Dipper diving and Pau finds Green-winged and Marsh orchids. In a meadow close to the car, we find 3 gorgeous male Bullfinches and a pair of Red-backed shrikes.

After a long day, we all soon go to bed.

Day 6. Wildlife trip report Pyrenees.

Wildlife report Valencia La Mancha Madrid and Pyrenees

The morning is spent locally. After 30 minutes hike the party get to the cliffs where the Wallcreeper have been breeding during the last years. After waiting about 40 minutes, they get a glimpse of this stunning bird quite high up in the cliff. Suddenly, another one arrives and both fly off showing their distinctive red patch on their wings. The group decides to wait hoping to get another view and their patience pays off but not with a Wallcreeper but with a Lammergeier.

On route, Pau stops for a coffee in Hecho before visiting the next valley for lunch. In the near meadows everyone gets nice views of Rock bunting and Red kites. Few minutes later, Deidre spots a Griffon’s vulture perched in the ground just few meters from the road. They stop the car to watch the vultures circling around, there must be a carcass. They spend the rest of the day in Ansó, where the group get nice views of a Red Fox and a Crested Tit among other common birds.

Deidre and Karmela are woken up during the night by a loudly Tawny Owl, calling from a small patch of forest near the garden.

Day 7. Wildlife trip report Pyrenees.

Today, the group sets off to Navarra to look for some alpine birds. On route, Deidre finds an Egyptian vulture perched on a telephone post. It is nice to see that this threatened bird still remains fairly common in the area. Once they get into the valley, they find Alpine chough and lots of Northern wheatears displaying in the meadows. The group carry on towards France enjoying wonderful views of the snowy mountains. The snow still remains in many areas which is quite unusual at this time of the year. Later, Deidre finds a Ring ouzel perched in a pine and Pau quickly focuses the telescope so everyone enjoy fantastic views of a male of the subspecies alpestris. Citril finches chirp and fly in small flocks in front of the vehicle.

On the way down the valley they spot a flock of 4 raptors which turn out to be 3 Red kites and a Booted eagle. Near the road, Pau locates a Water pipit with its distinctive pinkie chest. However, the big surprise comes when Pau finds a friendly Marmot which looks to us hidden in a pile of rocks.

Once they get to the hotel, Karmela, Deidre and Pau walk around the forest and meadows looking for other species. A Firecrest shows well in a nearby Scots pine and Short-toed treecreeper flies every minute to its nest located under a tile on the roof. The rest of the evening is spent drinking some of the local beer and chatting with a group of Swedish birders.

Day 8. Wildlife report Valencia La Mancha Madrid and Pyrenees

Collared Patrincole in Valencia

Today is the final day of this wildlife adventure around Spain. After passing through Siresa, Pau pulls over to one side as he hears two Wrynecks calling. Everyone see this nice bird. The group continue the long journey ahead, making a couple of quick stops for photographing Common buzzard, Melodious warbler and other common birds.

After a couple of stops for facilities and lunch, they get near Valencia where they spend few hours birding in the coastal wetland of Marjal del Moro. Audouin’s gulls, Little and Sandwich terns fly around while the group stays in one of the hides. While the group waits patiently to see some Little Bitterns, Pau and Deidre get a glimpse of a Purple swamp-hen walking along the shore. Rod also enjoys great views of a Great reed warbler perched up on the reeds. Before they leave the hide, a pair of Turtle doves land on a nearby tamarisk. The final surprise comes when Pau finds in the colony of Sandwich terns, an Elegant tern incubating its nest. Therefore, this pair will be the second breeding in Valencia region this season!

Finally, we drive to the hotel and say goodbye. Thanks to Deidre, Rod and Karmela for making this trip so enjoyable.

To download the complete check-list of the Wildlife trip report to Valencia, La Mancha, Madrid and the Pyrenees, please click here.

Should you have any question, please do not hesitate to contact us or to visit the tour calendar.